Daughter of a Traitor: Origins of a Green Lantern
by Angelica burrows
Summary: The beginning of the daughter of Sinestro, and her journey to becoming one of the pivotal Green Lanterns of her time. This is the tale of Soranik Natu
1. Prologue

Origins of a Lantern

Prologue

Surgery mats covered the floor, a man who was beginning to flat line on the table bleeding from the very large wounds that he had suffered. One woman was standing in the way of his death; one woman was trying to bring him back.

She stood barely over five feet tall, her slim body wrapped in the stark white dress of the Neurosurgeons wing. It was tight, but airy and maneuverable. Her face was obscured by the hygiene mask, but beautiful, almond eyes glistened over the cloth. They were attentive, wide, and calculating. It was her eerie calm that had gotten her this far into the field of medicine at such a young age. She was unstoppable when she had a skin knife in her hand, and repairing dying veins was her specialty. Despite the woman's best efforts, the alarm of the monitor sounded, wailing its deathly cries within the room. Gritting her sharp teeth together, the woman's jaw line distended in concentration. She couldn't let this man die, she wouldn't let this man this man die on her watch.

"_Why do we not have the Microamniam machine installed in this hospital? It's the only thing that will repair his convoluted arien folfic valve." _ The short woman's voice was clear and confident, despite her patient's condition. The assisting intern's wavered however, the fear of losing their warden obvious in the tambour. "_This is a teaching hospital, Dr. Natu, not a specialty hospital. We don't have a lot of the newer micro bots that some of the other facilities have." _ The doctor's slim brows furrowed, the woman obviously displeased by the answer her student had given her. Setting down the shining scalpel that she had been using to extract the live leeching tumor that was exposed within the man's neck, Dr. Natu shook her head. The monitor completely flat lined, no sign of life left within its waving chart. "_Then there is nothing I can do. If Willpower alone could bring this man back, I would do it…but life doesn't work that way." _ Removing her facial mask, Doctor Soranik Natu lowered her almond, amethyst eyes to the floor.

Then…it happened. Green light showed its might, filling the room with the brightest glow she had ever seen. The ethereal voice of an unknown essence filled her mind and ears, its tones comforting despite her current situation. '_Soranik Natu of Korugar, you have the ability to use great Will. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps." _Emerald luminosity reflected in her fearful eyes, the beams emanating from a small circle of jade that had slid itself upon her ring finger. The piece of jewelry was no ordinary trinket. It was Death.

She had seen it once before as a child, upon the hand of the man that called himself 'Sinestro.' He had come to his home world to conquer and rule with the iron fist of intolerance, and enslaved his people to the binding light of Will. It had only been with the arrival of a human many called 'Jordan' that the planet had been freed. But Green Lanterns had been banished, forbidden to Korugar for quite some time, and was considered an atrocity to behold or become.

Her hands trembled, but slowly, her eyes turned back to the man she had been so desperately tried to save. He still had a chance…and if the legends were true, anything that she imagined would form from the forbidden power of the ring. Her colleagues were screaming, the rubble from where the ring had burst into the room smoking. Crying out in dismay as they beheld her with the ring upon her hand, the interns wailed with fear and anger. "_Dr. Natu, don't…" _

Violet orbs looked up at the male who whispered his horrified words. He couldn't be more than twenty lunar cycles, and yet he knew the story behind these rings… These rings, that could do anything the bearer wanted, including build a life giving machine from nothing. Bent over the man she had sworn to 'do no harm' to, Soranik Natu realized she had a choice to make. She could let the man die, let him bleed out on the table as she discarded the bateaus ring from herself ; or she could use the power to save an innocent that had put his essence within her capable hands.

Setting her jaw as she straightened her arms, the woman also realized she never did have but one choice to choose; she would never let a man capable of being saved die. Forsaking all that she believed in, all that she had thought forbidden, Soranik allowed her mind to open itself into the power that had been granted it. Olive beams began to curl in the misted air, extending from the ring that shone within the pious glory. The machine she had required earlier began to take form, its many blades and lasers twitching into their aligned sockets. She had seen this machine, memorized its components like a well oiled recipe from neural success.

It made no noise as the operation took place, the doctor's mind firmly fixated on her patient, even as her colleagues began to scream their branding obscenities. That day she saved a man's life. And that day she had become….

A traitor…..


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Time seemed to be straining by as flickers of memories touched in and out of her consciousness. It had been many days since that fateful one, and each one had led her farther from the place she had called home. The ring had literally dragged her to its origin, the great planet of Oa. There she had pleaded defiance against the ring and its Guardians, refusing to take the offered place amongst their dreaded Corps.'_I have one question. How do you get out of here? I do not want to be a Green Lantern!" _

Many had not understood, mainly a loud mouthed, fire haired human that should have been put in his place on the spot. But taking their ignorance in stride, she had made up her mind simply. She was not going to become a Green Lantern.

The ring was something forbidden and dangerous, and even though she knew what it was capable of, the stolid woman could not find the will to remove it from herself. Now, floating above the world so tired and confused with verve, Soranik Natu gave the swirling planet below one last nod of acknowledgement. The small, cerulean beings there had told her merely to command it, to order what she had wanted from this…item… and that it would take her back to her planet. She felt so small in the darkness of space, looking out into the clusters of stars that dotted around in the inky ebony expanse. For a moment…she wondered… What would life be like outside of her small mindedness?

Shaking her head as she looked down to the glowing trinket on her finger, Natu cursed herself for such blasphemy. She was needed on Korugar, she belonged ….home. Narrowing her violet eyes at the slim finger, Soranik growled in treacherous delay. "_Take me back….Take me back so that I may stick you in a dust filled drawer and that you can do no harm." _ The light the softly glowed about it flared, sending tendrils of energy about her body. It felt like effortless swimming, like a current pulling her body all on its own. Space flowed about the shell of oxygen that kept her sustenance alive, bending as she began to move faster than any vehicle she had experienced before.

A surging feeling of motion was what actually allowed her to know she had moved. That and the darkness… Everything was wreathed in a furious black, one that penetrated into the fearing part of her brain despite rational thought. It became hard to move…everything felt so tight. Soranik trembled inside, her mind wishing there was some form of light that would break the barrier of shadow that loomed before her. Then…there was. The ring had somehow connected with her wish, and granted it. A soft, emerald glow cast into the ebony richness, revealing things that she had wished had remained hidden. There were bodies…everywhere. A nightmare of the worst kind, one that was real; that was what this place was. Despite her extensive knowledge, Soranik could not tell exactly what this place was. It was like a silken womb, meshed with twine and sticky lesions. Carcasses of alien life lay strewn in the wake of messy material, some half eaten of decaying.

Backing up instinctively, the young doctor looked upwards, afraid to what may meet her searching, amethyst eyes. Nearly retching at the sight of a corpse wrapped in web, Soranik finally understood why the ring had brought her here. The decaying mass of an alien was strung upside down by the waist, its mouth hanging open in some sort of a scream from the afterlife. Upon the chest, a Green Lantern symbol splayed proudly, the only hope in a pit of black. Shaking as the sight reflecting in her wide orbs, Natu felt humbled for the first time since the outrage on Oa. Her lips parted, barely able to choke out the words that she was saying. Even though there was no one to hear her…the woman spoke, to assure herself of the mental state she was so desperately trying not to be.

"_I'm…I'm…not…afraid…" _


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"_Mission completed. Logic dictates early return to Oa."_

The grating voice of the android above whistled in the fresh breeze, making the hair on the back of Kyle Rayner's neck stand up. Everything had been confusion and explosions, and now that the finality of their mission was over….something still drew him to this place…

The planet Mogo was a sentient being within itself, and the first of its kind to become a Green Lantern. The very essence of the planet breathed in life, harmony, and spread its wonder through all that journeyed there. And when Kyle's ring had signaled someone was in great distress there…it had been almost unbelievable. Scanning the horizon next to his fellow comrades, the young man gave his companions a sidelong glance. Often he felt intimidated in the presence of others, especially in the company of senior Lantern, Guy Gardner. The red headed, firebrand was the second to be chosen from Earth, and he always let everyone….know about it. Despite at first being the odd ball out, the man finally had warmed up to Kyle, welcoming him into the fold. Rayner had suffered tragedy due to his decision to become a Lantern…and everyone knew it…

"_I don't hear anything, Kyle. Are you sure.." _ Gardner inclined his head towards the younger man, his blue eyes watering slightly from the velocity they were flying. Guy liked to actually feel the wind in his hair, where as some Lanterns would raise a protective bubble barrier. It was mandatory to keep the vacuum of space out, but now on an earthlike planet, he let himself feel footloose and fancy free…

Rayner nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon below. They were drawing closer to the ground, preparing to look on foot for what he hand heard. The young man swore he had distinctly heard someone calling for help….

"_It's..he's beautiful..look at the water…it's been so long since I've breathed it!" _ The reptilian rookie that tailed along with them shivered in delight, causing Gardner to look up in confusion. A grin spread across the human's mouth as he landed; finally understand why the alien adolescent had spoken those words. The bluish creature blinked happily, prominent flaps of skin rippling alongside his neck. "_Riiight..the gills! You're…amphibian?" _ The alien nodded as he dove straight for the luscious liquid, immersing himself up to the neck. "_No Uxorian could resist them.." _

Kyle chuckled at the lot, shaking his head in wonder. The Corps was a true thing of peace, bringing people from all walks of life and planet together. If someone had asked him five years ago if he would be standing on a sentient planet with another human, a fish man, and an android with no sense of humor….well the answer would fall short of reality. The breeze lifted at his hair, ruffling it lovingly. There seemed to be a whisper within the wind.. '_Kyle…' _ Rayner strayed from the group, taking a ginger step into the edge of the woods. All his senses were tingling… "_Mogo? Hello?" _

'_Help me…'_

Venturing deeper into the woods, Kyle took a deep breath. Despite him being what he was and all…claustrophobia was setting in. The trees seemed like they were reaching out in the emerald blackness, contorted and dangerous. His back was ever turning as he tried to orient himself…but all of them looked the same. '_Kyle, this way..' _ The man whirled at the voice, his ears burning with a sound that had not resonated in them for several years. It couldn't be… "_Al…Alex?" _ The woman that had stolen his heart peaked out from the foliage, her lips displaying mirthful happiness in the form of a smile. "_How's it going, hero?" _ That smell..those eyes….it couldn't be. Alexandra Dewitt had been his fiancée before that fateful day of becoming a Green Lantern. A villain who had wanted the green energy spark for himself had discovered Kyle's identity, raided his home, and murdered his beloved Alex. The next morning when he had arrived home from a mission….Rayner had found her mangled corpse in the refrigerator….The experience had nearly crushed him, and the man had never fully gotten over losing the first love of his life…

"_You can't be here…you…you're dead. You aren't real…" _ The woman brushed her hair behind her ear languidly, feigning a hurt expression. "_I'm real to you…You know the power of the mind if anyone does…" _ Kyle paused before drawing closer, the small pit of his stomach fluttering gently. There were rumors that Mogo had the power to bring a person's mind to life…to overcome…to break…either way the planet had a way of bringing inner..hidden thoughts into reality. Hanging his head, Rayner could no longer the female in the eye. "_I do know if Ganthet hadn't given me that ring, your wouldn't have died." _ Alex's soft eyes turned upwards, kind and generous as they ever had been…god he missed getting lost in them..

"_But many others would have died. Our destinies were sealed the night they inducted you in the Corps." _Passing a gloved hand over his brow, Kyle let her words sink in. It was true…but she had ever more been a target by one mere problem. "_There was no Corps back then. I became Green Lantern.." _ An ironic amusement played about the woman's green eyes, a gentle smile curving at her lips. Hiking up her legs, she rested against the tree trunk. "_Same thing, isn't it, Kyle?" _ As he looked down to her, Rayner finally felt a twinge of relief flood through his system. Even though he was talking to a shadow….there was a shade of forgiveness exuding from Alex's memory. As she leaned forward, there was an eager glint in her eye, just like the one she used to have when he told her of the day's work… "_So what have you bee doing since last I saw you?" _

Moving down on one knee, Rayner fought the urge to choke on tears. So many memories…so many things he wanted to tell her…so…many things he wanted to share. Extending a hand out to her, hid gloved fingertips brushed against Alex's cheek. "_I…Alex…I've had more adventures than I can begin to tell you. I seen things…Done things I can hardly believe. I never felt like I deserved any of this…You. But Dammit…I deserve you…and I still miss you." _ Alex smiled softly, her figure melting from beneath his touch. Her words seemed to carry on the wind as she disappeared, only the tree bark of the trunk she had been leaning on remaining in her stead. "_I miss you too, Kyle…I'll always..." _

Reaching out tentatively, Kyle Rayner blinked. "_Alex?"_ A new voice replaced that of the woman he had loved, but still female none the less. Whirling and looking up, the young man nearly started in surprise. Strapped up in the tree by various vines and leaves was the woman who had caused such a stir at the Rookie meeting earlier that morning. Soranik….Soranik Natu..that was her name. Her face was turned upwards like an exorcist victim, body stiff and contorted as if bound. The Ring signal flashed the holographic image one last time as fear clouded into the apparition's eyes. '_Help…me.'_


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

How did this happen…

It was his first day on the job, and everything was..how did the humans say it? Foot loose and fancy free? Well…sort of. The brightness of the star had attracted him to that local point that had changed his life forever… The star's gravitational pull had taken him bit by bit, almost as if he were made out putty and had slid into the back hole like melting goo. Then there had been darkness…all darkness. It wasn't like normal darkness that your eyes adjusted to, it was like being blind. After a small while in it, Vath could not tell whether his eyes were open or closed… Swallowing hard, he remembered the weapon upon his finger, the soft trickle of light piercing the darkness like an arrow. Lifting the ring to his lips, the rookie Green Lantern desperately whispered into his distress beacon. "_Isamot, can you hear me? Speak to me dammit…" _A soft rustling behind him caused the man to go on edge, his indented lips drawing thinly across his teeth… Something was next to him…

The reptilian alien drew close to his student, sighing gently as he tried to see through the inky blackness that surrounded them. Even with his advanced sight, he could not see beyond what little light their rings were shedding. "_I hear you…you're not afraid, are you?" _His voice whistled slowly through sharp teeth, unsure he should even bring the subject up to the inexperienced Lantern. The green element that powered the rings they bore was nigh indestructible, but only had one imperfection. The yellow element from the Quardian sector had proved to be linked to the emotion of fear, and if the Lantern that encountered it had not overcome their worst fear…it rendered any willpower that they could must useless. And the rings that were their defense became nullified…

The other Lantern shook his head, straining against the surroundings that he found increasingly claustrophobic. _"Of course not, you?" _Isamot paused briefly, turning slowly as something brushed against his sensitive hearing… "_Hah, me? I'm n…wait…I heard something else too…Let's get some light on it." _Apprehension clouded his voice even as the words drebbled out of his throat. Raising his ring up above his head, Isamot willed the light to grow stronger. As he did so, Vath stiffened as he looked upward, his voice becoming low and terrified. As his own eyes looked upwards, he realized that in doing so, it had been a large mistake. Bone littered the floor, explaining why there had been a crunching sound underfoot. Material snaked up the walls, sticking like white…webbing… As he followed Vath's gaze, Isamot felt his insides clench. His companion whispered low as he raised his weapon up, the soft growl snarling through his snapped teeth. "_Not it…them…"_

Above them scuttled enormous spiders, blood and parts hanging from their gleaming fangs….

Readying themselves for the next kill….

…

"_You really want to go to Vega, Rayner? This is big time Lantern rule breakin y'know." _

Guy watched the younger man above him, a wicked grin coming across his lips. Rayner had always struck him as a goody goody, and now that the man was showing his more rebellious side, he was beginning to like him better by the minute. He and the other two trainees had been minding their own business when Rayner had burst from the brush upon Mogo, and informed them that the distress signal had come from Soranik Natu. He remembered her from the rookie meeting, she had been arrogant…angry…beautiful…and best of had red skin that was barely covered by a skin tight medical suit. What was it about alien women that made him wish that suits were none sequential?

Seeing that Kyle did not make any retort, Guy decided to embellish, hoping to provoke a rise of some sorts. _"I'm the bad boy, and they expect it. They can me and send me back to Earth, then fine… But you?...You live to be out here… Be the Guardians golden boy.." _

That finally did it. Rayner snapped it head to the side, a glare exuding from behind the mask her wore. _"When will you get over yourself, Guy? We both want the same thing. To do a good job and take care of our own… I respect the Guardians, hell I even respect you, but I have to follow my gut feeling. And right now that's to rescue Soranik Natu, wherever she is.." _Guy's lips curved up into a lecherous smirk Edging closer to his partner, Gardner pushed himself higher into the vacuum as the planetary line showed ahead. "_Face it Rayner, with you…She is hot…"_ Gardner looked back in his mind to when he had taken a mental picture of her supple chest… That lovely thing was something all men could thing of in the hard times in the middle of the night… Speaking of hard…

Rayner completely disregarded the comments, keeping his eyes upon the golden sphere ahead. If he went into the Vega system…everything could change. The Lanterns had no jurisdiction in this sector, and their permissible entry was denied here.. _"Stel's triangulation gives us a good fix on where she is…if we work quickly, there are millions of asteroids down there, we would look like two more…" _The rings upon both their hands in unison flashed in warning, the mechanical voice grating and angry almost in tone.

_WARNING SYSTEM OUTSIDE THE GUARDIANS JURISDICTION. LANTERS ARE ADIVISED THAT PROCEEDING FURTHER IS A SERIOUS DICIPLINARY OFFENSE._

As the two pressed onward despite the warning, Guy cast a sidelong glance to his partner. The young man's eyebrows were furrowed, his teeth clenched at his lip in deep thought. _"Crossing state line now, Rayner. Something up? You're looking kinda worried…" _Rayner's expression slowly changed as Guy continued to watch him, his lips twisting to the side as a smug look etched onto his features. "_It's just been so long since Natu's last distress call…_

_And whether or not you'll be able to keep up with me…" _Before he seasoned Lantern could blink, Kyle Rayner was gone in a blink. Emerald energy left a small trail behind as he dove into the asteroid field, leaving Guy in his proverbial dust. Gardner frowned as his arrogance was squashed….

Along with his pride..

A/N

I am so sorry for not updating this sooner. I got very wrapped up in my Resident Evil and Doctor Who stories that I even forgot I had started writing this! It took a review to make me remember...

Well I hope yall like this chapter, and I promise I will try to keep up with it better! R/R if you please! And I'll return the favor!

Happy Reading,

Angie Burrows


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